The Diary of a Secret.

They were coming closer...

"Hey! You! How were you doing that!" the biggest boy shouted to me. I had no reply to give him because I didn't know.

"Doing what?" I asked timidly. He narrowed his eyes.

"That magic trick!" he shouted.

The word "magic" struck me. The little lightbulb inside my young mind lit up.

"Oh, magic!" I smiled.

"Yeah...sure. How'd you do it?" he asked again, now skeptic.

"Well...I stared at the bug real hard, and you just have to pray and wish for him to fly!" I smiled big, thinking I had accomplished my task. The boys, there were maybe four of them, were staring at me, eyes narrowed and mouths shut.

I didn't understand...I thought I had told them....

The big boy asked if I liked games. I was about to tell him that, yes, I very much liked games...but, I never got the chance. He and his friends had picked me up, and were carrying me...I was slammed against a wall.

"Ah!" Ariana shouted, sitting straight up. Her breath was short, and she fought not to scream again.

Control, Ariana, she thought to herself, It's all about control...you know that. She had to remind herself of this everyday, even though she knew that control wasn't exactly her strongest quality.

She heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. Aberforth... she thought, relieved.

"Ariana! Are you alright?" No, it was her mother. Kendra rushed to her bedside, and sat down. Ariana just stared. Anger lit up her icy eyes, and she could feel steaming hot tears come to her; she shook them away. Kendra noticed, "Oh, Ariana, don't be upset! I was off to work was all."

Work? Ariana thought angrily.

She opened her mouth, and only one word came out: "Lies."

Kendra looked appalled, and then scornful, "Listen here, it doesn't matter where I went. I am sorry, though, for leaving. I suppose that doesn't change much...."

It doesn't. Ariana thought bitterly.

Then Kendra looked bright. "Well, with the boys off to school, it is just you and me," she smiled, "I was thinking...maybe you could help me in the garden? I'm not getting any younger, and you need some sunshine. We'll be doing it like Muggles, though, so get ready to preform a little hard work, for once in your life." She laughed, as if what she had just said could not have possibly astounded (maybe even hurt) Ariana. Kendra never made Ariana do so much as the dishes, much less outside work, where people could see her.

Kendra, taking Ariana's (stunned) silence as a "yes", said, "Well, then, I'll leave you to get dressed. I've brought some Muggle clothes in from the Muggle Market. I think they are quite nice," Kendra smiled. Ariana wondered that if, everytime Kendra grinned, was shame hidden? She shooed the thought away, and looked at her clothes. It was a dress, and a pretty one at that. Light, pale, yellow with little blue flowers on it. It had thin straps to hold it up, and was a little low cut for Ariana's liking. She thought it was pretty anyhow, and put it on solemnly along with her leather boots. She ran a comb through her thin, long, blonde hair, and rushed down the stairs.

Kendra was in the newly-repaired kitchen, fiddling with what looked like Muggle garden tools (Ariana had seen her old neighbors, who were Muggles, out gardening often). Kendra looked oddly puzzled. "I don't suppose you would know how to use these?" Kendra asked her daughter. Ariana lightly nodded, and, taking the tool from her mother, silently walked outside, and demonstrated how to use the spade. "I see!" Kendra exclaimed, "How very clever! You know, I've always thought Muggles were rather stupid, but this is a fine way to do things, save magic of course," she laughed lightly. Ariana nodded, with a faint smile. She liked how her mother was talking to her, and laughing more; she liked how her mother aknowledged that Ariana could be useful, too. She did not miss the grumpy, irritated, and easily set off mother that once ignored her. However, why her mother had changed, and how so quickly, did not cross her mind.

Maybe, for the first time, Ariana was content.